This conference declaration was signed on 22 November 2016 at the occasion of the 2nd annual Vision Europe Summit in Lisbon by our director, Yves Bertoncini, and the leaders from the seven other think tanks and foundations convening the Vision Europe Summit.

The record numbers of refugees arriving in Europe in 2015 has put pressure on policymakers to devise effective policies that address both the plight of refugees and the concerns of EU citizens. The crisis has exacerbated divisions and tensions within and between EU member states and revealed how unprepared the EU was to deal with such an influx.

Crises, however, can be constructive, if they create the conditions for essential reforms. As Europe now has some breathing space in managing the refugee flows, there is an opportunity to focus on strategy development, which cannot be missed. There is also an opportunity for dialogue around European values, identity and vision that can help build common ground for the future.

The Jacques Delors Institute takes part to the Vision Europe project, a consortium of think tanks and foundations collaborating to address some of the most pressing public policy challenges facing Europe. Through research, publications and an annual summit, we aim to be a forum for debate and a source of recommendations to improve evidence-based policy-making at both a national and EU level and to foster as appropriate European integration. In 2015 we commonly worked on “The Future of the Welfare State”; in 2016, the Vision Europe initiative developed innovative policy recommendations on how to improve the response to the crisis of migrants and refugees in Europe.